Small Business Copywriter
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As a copywriter, I’m often called in to ressurect dying business blogs. “I don’t know what happened,” the client says. “I tried to keep up with the blog, but after the first few months I ran out of things to say about vintage hats, so I just left the blog for shop updates, and all my subscribers left and my readers dissapeared.”
Sadly, I see this all too often. A business owner will start a blog with every good intention, but unfortunately, not everyone is a born blog writer. Most business owners have better things to do with their time than worry about feed subscribers and fresh blog content. If that sounds like you, it’s high time I suggest you hired a copywriter.
But what if you’re happy running your blog yourself? Perhaps you’re really enjoying blogging about your business, but you feel like you’ve run out of things to say. Well, for all you perservering amateur bloggers out there, I offer five post ideas to stimulate a boring blog.
Continue reading 5 Posts to Stimulate Boring Blogs
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Copywriting clients come and go. Most you adore and hope to work with again. Some become lifelong friends, some you wish you’d never met. I’ve been thinking a lot about my wonderful and not-so-wonderful clients, so I compiled this list on how to be a great freelance client:
A Great Client has a Plan
When you go into business, or start up your non-profit, the VERY first thing you should do is not buy your domain name or throw a party, but draw up a business plan. Your business plan then becomes the backbone of every business decision you make.
The client with a plan is the client who comes to me and says “I need to website to fulfill this specific purpose. I want this information included. I need a blog that targets this specific audience and attracts new clients to my business. Go to it.” This client is a joy to work with because they understand what a copywriter needs to produce successful website content.
The client without a plan says “I need a website, with some articles and probably a blog.” They don’t understand the purpose for their website, their target market, or the goals they’re working towards by setting up online. These clients are difficult to work with as they don’t know what they want to achieve, so the copywriter can’t target their content accordingly.
A Great Client is Excited about their business
My favourite people to work with are those enthusiastic, ultra-driven people. You know the ones – they ooze passion from every pore. They’re the plumbers passionate about drain-laying, the gothic clothing designers passionate about Victorian lace, the seed-growers passionate about organic compost. Their enthusiasm is infactions, and before long I discover I’M passionate about drain laying, victorian lace and organic compost, and my passion comes across in the words I write.
Inspire passion in those around you, and you’re business will thrive.
A Great Client knows when to Leave you To It
Some clients are so concerned you don’t understand the needs of their project, they’ll ring you countless times to ‘go over the details’ or drag you in for meeting after meeting.
Great Clients understand that all these interruptions break your flow and result in a disjointed focus on the project. Great Clients trust you as the expert to deliever your best work based on their detailed brief.
A Great Client Asks for the Best
Sometimes – for whatever reason – you don’t get things quite right the first time. Maybe the focus for some of your articles is a bit off, or you’ve touched on a controversial point your client would rather avoid.
A Great Client gives you detailed feedback on the areas they want improved and allows you to rectify these areas.
Some clients simply take the content and make do, or attempt to edit it themselves. A Great Client understands you want only your best work to enter the world and will allow you the opportunity to improve your content.
A Great Client Pays on Time
Every freelancer has a tale of ‘the Client that Didn’t Pay’. My worst was an editor who didn’t sent a check for four months. The check never arrived (not the editor’s fault, mind you) so they told me they would write another check and send it right away. Two weeks later, a check arrived – not the new check, but the FIRST check, now reversed. The new check arrived three months later – seven months after I was due payment.
It’s easy to forget the writers have to eat too, and pay our bills, and buy our husband’s chocolate. Great Clients pay promptly, and if there’s any problem with payment, they rectify it forthwith.
Do you have any more definitions of great clients? Perhaps you have a story of a great or not-so-great client you’d like to share in the comments?